Hey There Delilah
by shalom378
Summary: It's a quirky love story! Sorry, I don't know where else to put this :P


**Hey-oh all! So here's a quirky love story I wrote, and it's kind of depressing just FYI. Happy reading and PLEASE REVIEW!**

At precisely 7:15 I am awake and ready to face the day! I hop out of my bed and smooth the teal-blue sheets. Then I dress in my pre-prepared blouse and jeans and head to the bathroom. Once there I stand in front of the mirror and tie my exactly-24-inches-of-hair into a traditionally spotless bun and leave my bangs just touching my sculpted brows. As I pick up my toothbrush I smile at my reflection and begin reciting the Affirmation Alphabet. "I am amiable, beautiful, courageous, decisive, extr-"

I only make it to E when my stomach twists, and I have just enough time to rush to the porcelain pot before I'm gagging on yesterday's dinner. When I'm finished, I straighten up, flush and run for the cabinet of cleaning supplies. _I'm not due to get sick for another two years_, I think as I scrub the toilet. _Could it be food poisoning? Gastritis?_

In desperation, I slide off my rubber gloves, pack away the cleaning, and head out the apartment door, careful to lock it behind me. The cool fall air hits my cheeks as I leave the building and take a right. It's standard New York rush hour and I shudder as I weave my way around all the people on the sidewalk. Only one block north and I've found what I'm looking for- the doctor's office. One of the reasons I choose to move here is because of the comforting closeness of this hospital. I take a wet-wipe from the package in my purse and wipe down the door handle, then throw it away inside.

"How can I help you, miss?"

The receptionist looks up and I notice that the cord of her headset is askew upon her jacket; I reach over the desk and straighten it for her. She looks at me strangely- they all do.

"Um, yes. I'm Delilah Winthrope. Twenty-six years old, blood type A, brown hair, blue-"

She interrupts me. "Yes, thank you Ms. Winthrope. Do you need to make an appointment?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Dr. Paul has and opening on Thursday, or-"

"No. I need to see him now."

The receptionist raises her eyebrows but taps on her computer and nods. I turn down the vast hallway and knock sharply on the second door on the right.

"Come in," calls a male voice. I walk in and find my doctor, Dr. Paul James, sitting and writing reports at his desk. His grey hair is more thinned out than I remember; he gestures to the chair in front of him.

"Ah, Ms. Delilah. Please, sit. What ails you?"

I gingerly sit on the cushioned seat and state, "I vomited today for the first time in two months. At first, I thought it was the flu, but I don't have a fever."

His brow furrows and he takes notes on a notepad. "And have you had any relapses in the past few months of your OCD?"

I resist the urge to straighten his gaudy purple tie.

"No," I lie, sitting on my hands. "Hmm. And have you had any specific cravings?" _Strawberry-rhubarb pie and hot dogs. Simultaneously_.

"Yes. A few, actually." Dr. Paul sighs and sets down his notepad with a fin. "Well, you'll need to be put under a few tests, but right now I can only diagnose you with one thing."

I clutch the handles of my purse, and brace myself for six months of life, max. But he says the last thing I can imagine, and my perfect, orderly, spotless and all together obsessive life, is turned upside down.

"Ms. Winthrope, I believe you are pregnant."

Three Days Later

On the sidewalk I hail a taxi and once inside I begin wet-wiping down the interior of the backseat. "Fourth street, please."

Five minutes and ten point twenty-six dollars later I'm standing on the sidewalk in front of a quaint Victorian-style house. I take a deep breath to calm my shaking hands. He answers on the first knock. Tall, athletic, chocolate brown curls and dimples that could make your heart melt on demand.

"Delilah!" He looks shocked to see me- I'm not surprised. I haven't visited in four months and ignored his persistent calls.

"Hi, Nicholas." At first he just stands there, taking me in, remembering everything we shared. Then he collects himself and invites me in.

Everything is so familiar- the cherry-oak floors, the scratch in the wall that I always claimed looked like a turtle.

"So, um, can I get you anything to drink?" he rubs the back of his neck, a nervous gesture that I find adorable.

"No. No thank you. Ah, listen, Nicholas, what I really came here to do was to-" My phone buzzes and I scramble to unlock it. "Sorry, I've been expecting a text…" It's from the Women's Health Clinic.

I try and make sense of the message but the letters blur in front of me and only a few are made clear. _Pregnancy. Positive. Eleven weeks along._

"Delilah? Are you okay? You look a little pale…" His voice sounds so far away… A whooshing sound fills my head and complete darkness takes over.

I awaken to the sound of a teakettle whistling and realize I am lying on the sofa, an orange blanket covering me. When I sit up my hair falls in tendrils around me and I mentally kick myself for not bringing a hairbrush.

"Oh, gosh, you're awake." Nicholas appears carrying a tray of tea items. He hands me a mug of peppermint tea and I take it gratefully. "So… did I faint?"

He grins sheepishly, dimples springing into his cheeks, and sits in a chair across from me. "Yeah. You were out for about half an hour. What news on earth could make you faint like that?"

I curl my hands around the mug, drawing soothing heat into my palms, and swirl the tea around anxiously. "Nic… I'm pregnant." The clatter of china startles me- Nicholas bends down to pick up the fallen sugar cubes.

"Oh." He says softly.

"I'm so, so sorry Nick, I was so stupid, it's all my fault, I-" That's when I lose it. I set my mug on the coffee table and let the tears fall, sobbing into my hands. When I feel his strong arms wrap around me I cry harder and hold onto his grey t-shirt.

"Shh…" he whispers into my hair. He rocks me back and forth and doesn't bother to stop my tears. After a minute he starts to sing, quiet and sweet.

"_Hey there Delilah I know times are getting hard; but just believe me girl, someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar…_" By the time he ends the song we are stretched out on the couch, my head resting on his chest. I fall asleep to the rhythm of his steady breathing and his supportive arms around me.

Two Weeks Later

I finally have what every woman dreams about- a baby bump. Just a slight roundness, but a three-month roundness nevertheless. Nic insisted I move in with him, and I eventually gave in. He's running the bookshop down the street from nine AM to four PM. Although I've been given strict instructions not to clean while he's away I really can't help myself.

So here I am, surrounded by the comfort of Lysol wipes and Clorox spray and up to my elbows in my yellow latex gloves. I sit back against the sink cupboard and take a break from scrubbing the floor, resting my hands on my baby paunch.

"Del? I'm home!"

The slam of the front door makes me jump; I try to stuff all the bottles in the basket under the sink but of course my strive to perfectionism makes speed impossible.

Nicholas enters in the kitchen and finds me guiltily re-arranging the cleaning products.

"Delilah." He says my name sternly, as if dealing with a three-year old caught stealing a cookie. Gently, he pries the canister of Comet from my hand and joins me on the floor. "Will you ever learn?"

I know he's not mad at me, but he's trying to be. My head fits perfectly in the groove of his shoulder- he puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head.

"I have an idea- how about we go to the Wonder Wheel amusement park? We could grab some dinner and spend an hour or two there..."

He trails off when her sees my horrified face, and stutters, "Well- now, I know you aren't accustomed to germs or large crowds, but it could be fun. And you need to get out of the house."

I stand- with some difficulty-, strip off my gloves, and deposit them in the sink. "You're right. Let's do something spontaneous… for once. And then I'm set for the next four years!"

Nic laughs at my perky smile and pushes himself from the linoleum. "Let's go be spontaneous, then."

Two hours, two vendor's hotdogs, and a nauseatingly large crowd of people later we arrive at the park.

"Soo… what do you want to do first?" Nicholas asks.

I loop my arm through his and answer honestly, "Avoid crowds." This earns a laugh that tilts his head back- I love it when he does that.

"Want me to win you that big fluffy teddy bear?" he gestures to a carnival stand where you throw a ball and try to knock down three pins.

"No, they're just scams and money wasters, Nic."

He grins mischievously at me and shoots back, "But it's a FUN money waster."

Before I can protest he's dragged me over to the booth and has paid two dollars for three palm-sized balls.

"Looks easy enough," he muses before lobbing the ball- and completely missing all three pins. I giggle when he blushes and says sulkily, "Let's see you do any better."

I pick up the last ball and toss it between my hands, estimating the leverage I will need for six point three feet of distance…

I knock all three down on my first try. Nic and the booth manager both stare at me, mouths slightly open, until I clear my throat. "The bear, please."

It's only half an hour later that I realize my stomach cramps. I'd been having so much fun- tasting cotton candy, watching the lights of the city appear- to notice.

But now, as we walk the boardwalk I dig my nails into Nicholas's jacket as a wave of pain seizes my stomach and lower back.

"Hey- Del?" His sweet, worried face appears close to mine; my vision blurs with tears as another harsh twinge takes over, knocking the breath from me. The last thing I feel is Nic's hand on the small of my back, and a gush of warmth between my legs, as I succumb to the all-too familiar blackness.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

I wake to the sound of a heart monitor. When I try and brush my bangs out of the way I find that my left arm has an IV inserted into it.

I take in the starched hospital sheets that I lay in, the vase of artificial daisies on the bedside table, and Nicholas.

He's sleeping on the couch by the window, using the bear as a pillow, worry lines pressed into his face along with the imprint of the teddy's corduroy button. The IV stops me from doing what I long to do- reach out and smooth his soft hair, stroke his sleep-flushed cheeks.

I clear my throat, half-hoping it will wake him. It does. He sits up, disoriented, and rubs his eyes.

"Delilah- how are you feeling?" He sits on the edge of the bed and takes my hand, rubbing circles with his thumb on mine.

"Sleepy." I smile a watery smile. "Did I pass out?"

The worry creeps back into his face. "Yeah. And- you were bleeding. A lot."

_Bleeding?_

Just as I'm about to question him my appointed midwife, Doctor Julie, enters. "Hello, Ms. Winthrope. How are you feeling?"

The worry lines. I see the dratted things everywhere. And is that… pity?

"Why was I bleeding, doctor?" I ask, getting to the point.

She looks at us, the young adults, and in one sentence crushes all our mixed-up topsy-turvy hopes and dreams for the future.

"Ms. Winthrope, I'm so sorry- but you lost the baby."

_It's been a year and I still think about her every day. What color hair would she have had? Would she have been like me- always obsessively cleaning? Would she inherit Nicholas's laugh? _

_Nic still hasn't recovered. He hides away behind his books and pretends to smile. But when we take a walk in the park or go to the grocery store and see a mother and her baby all swaddled up, or a daddy and his toddler, I can see the hurt that torments his soul. We will move on, eventually. In our own small ways, we have to learn to let go. One day, I'll be able to visit my friends and their perfect families, so full of love and laughter and joy, without crying. One day, maybe Nic and I will try again. In the not so distant future, we'll have our chance. _

**Hey there Delilah what's it like in New York City  
I'm a thousand miles away  
But girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do  
Times Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true**

**Hey there Delilah don't you worry about the distance  
I'm right there if you get lonely give this song another listen  
Close your eyes, listen to my voice it's my disguise  
I'm by your side**

**Oh it's what you do to me  
Oh it's what you do to me  
Oh it's what you do to me  
Oh it's what you do to me  
What you do to me**


End file.
